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“You can’t beat it, playing with Frank Clark and Tyrann Mathieu," Danna told reporters during a teleconference. "There’s a bunch of premier football players. And to be in my position, it’s a blessing, and I can’t wait to hit the field with them.”

Danna's journey to the NFL featured several twists and turns. The Warren De La Salle graduate picked Central Michigan during his recruiting process, only to see former head coach Dan Enos leave to become Arkansas' offensive coordinator in Jan. 2015.

Then, after developing into a standout pass-rusher in the MAC, Danna had to deal with another coaching change when the Chippewas fired John Bonamego after the 2018 season.

At that point, Danna could've entered the draft, returned to Central Michigan or played his final season of eligibility elsewhere as a grad transfer. He chose the latter.

Regarded as one of the nation's most efficient pass-rushers by Pro Football Focus, Danna had his pick of Power 5 suitors. He settled upon Michigan, the team he grew up rooting for.

The 6-foot-2, 261-pound edge-rusher quickly carved out a role as a situational pass-rusher behind starters Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson. Danna was a stout run defender and finished with 38 tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks.

“That year at Michigan, I learned a lot of technique and fundamentals," Danna said. "Just like rehearsing that over and over again each week and mastering it at a certain point was great. That year was very beneficial to me, I wouldn’t change it for nothing."

Although Danna was a useful player on Michigan's defense, he was not as productive as he had been at CMU. Add that to the lack of a combine invite and the cancelation of Michigan's Pro Day, and the odds seemed long that Danna would hear his name called this weekend.

But the Chiefs clearly liked what they saw on film.

“We had a bunch of FaceTime interviews and Zoom interviews," Danna said. "Because it’s different. I would usually have the visits but we weren’t able to do that because of the pandemic. The conversation was great. I’m happy to be here. I’m lost for words.”

Danna believes his participation in the East-West Shrine Bowl this offseason boosted his stock.

“I think that played a huge part of why I’m in the position I’m in right now," Danna said. "Going into that Shrine Bowl, I knew that I had to have a really dope week. I knew what was at stake. I had to show up. I feel like that whole week, I did what I had to do and I took care of business the right way. It paid off.”

After last season, the Chiefs retooled their defense, trading for Clark (a former Michigan defensive end) and hiring a new coordinator in Steve Spagnuolo. Kansas City used four of six draft picks on defenders. Danna was mostly a pass-rusher in college, but believes he can offer more to the Chiefs.

“Being able to pass rush or if I’ve got to drop back in coverage and do that," he said. "I’m a hard-nosed football player. Just bringing my physicality to the field every time I step onto it is first things first to me.”

And like he has throughout his career, Danna is approaching the next step of his football journey with a chip on his shoulder.

“Well, not being invited to the combine played a great deal into why I do what I do today," Danna said. "I put in a lot of work. I put in a lot of time into my craft. That was just fuel, and I used it to my advantage.

“... First things first, I know that I have a lot of faith. Just to be in this position takes a whole lot of faith. I responded to adversity, not being able to have a Pro Day because of the whole pandemic, and not getting a combine invite. All that played a huge role in who I am. I wouldn’t want to be in any other position. I had to put all the chips on the table, and it’s just a blessing to be in my position right now.”